JONATHAN WALTERS SAYS that the atmosphere in the Ireland camp “went right downhill” towards the end of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane’s involvement with the team.
O’Neill and his coaching staff parted company with the FAI last November, following a poor run of results which ended with Ireland getting relegated from their Uefa Nations League group.
Walters, who announced his retirement from football on Friday due to injury, says that those final months under O’Neill and Keane were difficult for everyone.
“Yeah, the atmosphere changed,” he told Virgin Media Sport.
“Results don’t help. We had a huge year of not winning, but the atmosphere was definitely different from when I first met up. It’s quite a hard thing to say when you used to absolutely love meeting up. It was great, I used to always look forward to it during the break in club football.
“When lads got days off, you didn’t really care. You used to just love coming to meet everyone and being involved and being able to play for Ireland. It’s an unbelievable feeling.
“But then [over] the past year, that sort of changed in everyone. The atmosphere went right downhill. It was difficult, you could probably go into a lot of things, it’s probably not the best time to go into it.”
"The Whatsapp was a mild version of what actually happened."@JonWalters19 reveals how the atmosphere changed towards the final days of Martin O'Neill & Roy Keane's time with Ireland. #VMSport pic.twitter.com/jxbW855Bn5
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 22, 2019
Walters also referred to a leaked WhatsApp audio message, purportedly of Stephen Ward, in which he which discussed a falling out between Harry Arter and Roy Keane.
During a press conference at that time, O’Neill effectively confirmed that Ward was the individual speaking in the WhatsApp recording about Keane supposedly launching a tirade of abuse at Arter and Walters over not training while apparently injured.
We all know the leaked WhatsApp has got a lot to answer for with Stephen Ward and I think that was probably a mild version of actually what happened,” said Walters.
“There’s various things like that so that changed a bit of perspective on it but in saying that, I was playing and the manager would look after me as well because at club level, I had injuries where I wasn’t playing for a lot over the course of two years.
“I came here and he trusted me to play during big important games so I’ve a lot of respect for the manager to be able to do that for me as well.”
Reflecting on his decision to retire, Walters said he suspected he was coming to the end of his football career when he began his rehab from an Achilles injury.
“I think it was a case of no other decision really to be made,” he said.
He added that representing Ireland was something he wanted to do from a young age.
"My Mum's from Dublin. Every time we weren't in school, we were in Ireland.
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 22, 2019
"It means everything.
"I could park club football to the side, the Irish side is the one thing I'll miss."@JonWalters19 on what playing for Ireland meant to him. 🇮🇪#ThanksJon #VMSport pic.twitter.com/fkge9nwGxa
“I was born in England, but my Mum is from Dublin in Ballybough. And every time we weren’t in school, we were in Ireland. We spent summers here, Christmases here, Easters here, every time growing up.
“It’s what I wanted at a very young age. I got into the academy system quite late as a player [I was] 15, 16 and I had an exceptional year my first year and I think I was the top scorer in England for my age group.
“I got asked what I wanted to do and that was my answer straight away [I wanted to play for Ireland]. I was involved in the U20′s and U21′s and I didn’t get back into it until quite late when I was 26 or 27.
On a personal point of view it means everything really. That’s the most difficult thing I’ll find I think, looking back going through any photos, watching any videos, that’s the most difficult thing is the Ireland side of it.
“I can park club football to the side believe it or not [but] the Irish side of it is the one thing I will miss, massively.”
The 35-year-old Walters retires with 14 goals in 54 international games. He last lined out for Ireland way to Wales during a 4-1 Uefa Nations League defeat in Cardiff.
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
Always willing to work hard for the cause.
Still the Goat Jonny.
Fact. It was the reason why Rice changed his allegiance. No brainer.Hard to blame him. Archaic set up with a coach that was effin and blindin. St George’s park? Or a a field next to a hotel?
I’m sure some journalists will use this to say “it was the atmosphere that caused rice to defect”.
Great servant. But he was as English as Declan rice to be fair
@Cryptoalcho: obviously not, doh!
@Aidan Prior: if he had been good enough to get a call up for England, he would have chose England to play with
@Cryptoalcho: I’m fairly sure Walters has an Irish parent where as Rice doesn’t, so not the same at all.
@The Bloody Nine: Correct. Walters’ Mum was from Dublin. Rice’s Ireland qualifications were through having grandparents from Cork.
@Cryptoalcho: have a look at the clip on the article
@Cryptoalcho: never even listened to the clip i betya
@James Clancy: Douglas, I think.
@samstheman: Arah lads. U think if England came calling he would have chose Ireland….. Tut tut
@Cryptoalcho: Yes, obviously ya dope!
@Cryptoalcho: trolling much? He already mentioned above, anytime he wasn’t in school, he was in ireland seeing family, therefore felt Irish first and foremost. There are many, many 2nd gen lads brought up that way in england. Fai should concentrate on them instead of wasting their scarce resources on chasing 3rd generation rats like rice and Grealish, whose heart was never really in it from the outset
@Facundo: true. But how do we differentiate between lads who want to play for Ireland and want to play for England?…. I’m sure rice and grealish were saying they’d play for ireland seniors while playing underage.. first sniff from England and they’re gone…. Maybe they should just focus on Irish born players for underage only.. I still haven’t heard anything that would change my mind that Walters would be playing England instead Ireland if England came sniffing… Financially it makes sense and tbh all them lads Born in England probably want to be play for England. Irelands plan B
@Cryptoalcho: you’ve a lot to say about this topic. You’ve made your opinion clear. I’m watching Switzerland vs Georgia while I type this . We need all the help we can get. But let me ask you your opinion on Éamon Zayed playing for Ireland at youth level but then playing for lybia. What’s your take on this ? And what do you think the Libyans are saying about it ?
@Cryptoalcho: well sure, Irish born would be ideal, but until irish fans and fai get more proactive about financially supporting their own teams, leagues and structures, instead of bankrolling englands…. then 2nd and 3rd gen was always be default first option. 2nd generation os a safe bet, if they’ve been going to Ireland all their life then it’s safe to say they will probably want to play for ireland… Like those dublin born lads in Ireland underage who will probably jump at the chance to play for Nigeria first opportunity they get. Identity is where the heart is
@Facundo: there is still a crop of Irish born decent footballers who would gain copious amounts of experience if they are given the jersey instead of turncoats…. Let them get the expierence and let the lads who qualify for us under “the granny” rule come at senior level. Develop the youth we have here and they may get the opportunity to progress in life and career
@Ronan McDermott: he played the system well for himself
@Cryptoalcho: and what do you think the lybian football fans are saying about it ? In fact are you not horrified by this ?
Keane a thug